Our home: The bermuda triangle of birthday and Christmas Presents

Sadly this is a true statement. One of our laundry baskets contains several birthday and Christmas presents that were supposed to make it to NY for Christmas but never did as weather prevented us from making the trip. Lauren we still have the boys birthday presents, Mike and Scooby, we still have your Christmas presents, same with Alex, Adam, and Even's Christmas presents.

So here is our family news update. Like Lauren and Sean we had a lot happen last year. Carl accepted a new position as a project manager for Verizon Wireless. This was a great career move but actually a step down in pay and now an hour commute both ways into Roanoke.  This all happened at around the same time we discovered we had a major problem with the foundation of our home. Through lots of prayer, fasting and creative thinking we came through. We traded cars with Nat. She got our blue van. We got her civic which has helped immensely with gas. I'm now working from home 10 hours a week with my former employer, Brain Injury Services of Southwest VA.  Mom and Dad were generous in their financial support for fixing the foundation. It's immensly expensive to fix a foundation. We nearly emptied our savings and we wouldn't have been able to pay for it if it hadn't been for Mom and Dad.

It was a very stressful time and I can say it tested my faith in new ways. We had to move forward not knowing how we were going to do this. Heavenly Father provided where we were short. We did everything that we could do and then he sent me a little job, kind parents, and an excellent work crew to help with the rest. We've been living frugally and it has been a great blessing to our family. I've changed so much in how I manage our money and how we spend our time and resources.

It took two weeks last spring to fix the house. 48 hours after the work crew left our washer flooded the basement. Our basement is finished and we have two bedrooms, a full bath, laundry room, and family room down there. All the flooring had to be ripped up and out, dry wall had to be removed in some places. Our family room had to be completely emptied and packed up in storage for 3 months while we completed the work.

This year we hope to begin patch up and repair work for some of the damage left from the foundation. Our front porch is in need of repair, the brick in our house needs repointed, and we have cracks in walls the need patched, sanded and repainted.

Carl will finally graduate with his bachelors degree from RIT this spring!  It's been 10 years of working full time and going to school. Eight of those years of full time work, school, plus being a husband and Dad. I have a lot of respect for Carl that he kept at it and sacraficed so much for our family.  We won't be able to make it up for him to walk in May but we are planning a vacation this summer to NY. I want to have a family party for him them. We hope you can all make it.

Grace and Marshall are growing by leaps and bounds. Grace seems to have the Cain/Kopshina gene for writing. Her goal is to have a book published just like Nana's. She has written several pieces that have amazed her teacher and principal. In fact the piece in the family calendar so amazed her principal the she had Grace's teacher read it a staff meeting. Dr. Parson's says she doesn't even have fifth graders with Grace's creativity and thought processes. Grace was also baptized a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints this past November. We were so proud of her and so lucky to have Mom, Dad, Sheryl and Aunt Nat come.  Grace also took a big step into growing up this past Friday. She braved her intense fear of needles and shots and got her ears pierced!  It was a family affair.  We all went and cheered her on. Carl filmed , and I took some pics. Yes, she cried. But afterwards she said it wasn't that bad and even wanted to watch the video several times.  I'm so proud that she didn't chicken out.

We call Marshall the "hot sauce" in our family.  Strong willed and determined Marshall keeps us on our toes at all times! But he has made us be better parents, better thinkers and better problems solvers. He is in Pre-k this year.  He is doing so well!  I believe Marshall's gifts a strongly in motor skills and movement. When he tells a story he uses his whole body. He can already do a full no-handed flip on the trampoline. He's supper fast on his bike.  My favorite Marshall saying of late are  Me: Marshall , who taught you how to dance like that? Marshall: Jesus did.
Me: Marshall, I love you so much, buddy! Marshall: Mom, I love your dance moves. He loves his sister but like his cousins tends to bicker with her a lot.  It's just sibling stuff but it's amazing how they watch out for each other. I have no doubt in my mind that if someone tired to mess with Grace that Marshall would have no problem kicking some butt.

We have no idea how long we will be here in VA. At this time if Carl wanted to move up we would probably need to move. I have mixed feelings. We've been here almost six years and have many friends. The kids love their school and we love our church family.  Plus, I have very little interest in all the stuff that goes with moving. However, I do miss home and especially seeing everyone. So, who knows what the future holds.

Foundation repair: dirty, messy, expensive.

Beauty and Muscles before the dance recital.

First day of school

I hope you are all doing well, and like Lauren said we'd love to hear your family updates.  Amber